"These folks have made sacrifices, and we owe for what they have done for us. So let's take the time to be more aware of these heroes in our midst."

NOTE from Larry Scott, VA Watchdog dot Org ... Recently, First Lady Michelle Obama visited VA's Central Office ... that story here ...
http://www.vawatchdog.org/09/nf09/nfoct09/nf102109-4.htm

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First Lady Michelle Obama visits with vets at the James J. Peters VA Medical Center in the Bronx

BY David Saltonstall
DAILY NEWS SENIOR CORRESPONDENT

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/politics/2009/10/2
8/2009-10-28_michelle_obama_visits_.html

First Lady Michelle Obama swooped into New York on Wednesday to catch the legends of Yankee Stadium, but first she took time to honor some real heroes: Wounded U.S. veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan.

Obama spoke at the James J. Peters VA Medical Center in the Bronx, where she visited with vets along with Dr. Jill Biden, the wife of the vice president, in advance of last night's World Series Game 1 match-up between the Yanks and the Philadelphia Phillies.

The First Lady's message: We can all do a little something to honor the men and women in the U.S. military. And please, she emphasized, don't forget the families they often have to leave behind while serving overseas.

"You can do something as simple as offering to drive a car pool, or offering babysitting," Obama told a room full of staffers and recuperating vets at the Kingsbridge facility. "Above all, each of us can simply reach out and do something really small -- and say thank you."

"These folks have made sacrifices, and we owe for what they have done for us," she added. "So let's take the time to be more aware of these heroes in our midst."

The visit, as well as Game 1 of the Series, was dedicated in support of Welcome Back Veterans ( www.welcomebackveterans.org ), a charity sponsored by Major League Baseball aimed at helping returning Iraq and Afghanistan War vets find mental health services and jobs.

The First Lady, who has made community service and military families centerpieces of her office, got a rousing welcome from the 200 or so veterans – about a dozen of them in wheelchairs -- who jammed a hospital conference room to catch a glimpse of her.

"It was very heartwarming – straight to the point and beautiful," said Sgt. Kenneth Slade, 51, of Coop City, a tractor trailer driver who was injured in Iraq during an 18-month tour in 2005 and 2006.

"That we are being recognized – that's what matters," added Slade, who was gleefully showing a picture of himself with the First Lady on his digital camera.

His buddy Sgt. Nelson Garcia, 38 – a Bronx native with a 17-year-old son and another child on the way – came home from his second tour in Iraq in 2007 with injuries sustained in a rocket attack, as well as post-traumatic stress disorder.

"It's just great that they actually care," said Garcia, who took a military leave from his job as NYC Transit bus driver to serve his country.

Later, Obama was due to escort Yankees legend and World War II vet Yogi Berra into the Bomber's new stadium, where Tony Odierno was expected to toss out the first pitch.

Odierno, a West Point graduate who lost his left arm during the war in Iraq, received the Bronze Star with Valor and a Purple Heart and now works for the New York Yankees in Stadium Operations. Odierno's father is General Raymond T. Odierno, the current Commanding General of the Multi-National Force in Iraq.

In addition to Biden, among those who joined the First Lady at the hospital were Jennifer Steinbrenner Swindal, vice chair of the Yankees and the daughter of George Steinbrenner; Charlie Hayes, a former Yankee infielder and member of the team' 1996 championship team; and Bob DuPuy, the president of Major League Baseball and a Korean War vet.

"You know, in sports, we toss around the hero term pretty easily," DuPuy told the crowd. "But frankly, you are the real heroes, and we would not have the freedoms we have today without your service."

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TOPICS: veterans, veterans' benefits, VA, Department of Veterans' Affairs, Michelle Obama, hospital, visit